Wearable soft exoskeleton suit

ABSTRACT

A wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a driving portion which is configured to expand and contract in response to supplying and discharging of fluid; and an adjustable stiffness patch which is connected to the driving portion and is configured to undergo a shape change in response to an expansion and a contraction of the driving portion so as to have an adjusted stiffness.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0033229 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 22, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a wearable soft exoskeleton suit of an exoskeleton apparatus which is worn in a human body to provide a force for assisting a muscle power.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, an exoskeleton apparatus is also referred to as a wearable robot and is an apparatus for enhancing a muscle power of a user who wears the same. Such an exoskeleton apparatus can be divided into an upper body exoskeleton apparatus for an upper body movement and a lower body exoskeleton apparatus for a lower body movement.

Recently various exoskeleton apparatus which can be used for various purposes of assisting handicapped persons or old people, a rehabilitation treatment of a muscle disease patient, assisting soldiers carrying heavy gear, and moving heavy load in an industrial field have been developed.

A conventional exoskeleton apparatus includes a plurality of metallic structures, a joint connecting the metallic structures, a detector for detecting movements, and a driving portion such as a motor for driving the joint or the like. Accordingly, the detector detects the motion of the user, and the joint corresponding to the detection motion is driven so that the metallic structures assists a muscle power.

However, the conventional exoskeleton apparatus moves the metallic structures using a mechanical force, there are problems in that the total weight is increased and also rapid and soft movements are impossible.

Further, due to these reasons, the conventional exoskeleton apparatus causes an exhaustion of physical strength of a user or a constraint on a movement of a user.

Prior Art Document

1. Korea Patent Registration No. 10-1315199 (2013.09.30)

2. Japan Patent Publication No. 2016-154850 (2016.09.01.)

3. Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0115052 (2007.12.05.)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a wearable soft exoskeleton suit which can be easily fabricated and has an enhanced stiffness adjustment characteristic.

Technical Solution

A wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a driving portion which is configured to expand and contract in response to supplying and discharging of fluid; and an adjustable stiffness patch which is connected to the driving portion and is configured to undergo a shape change in response to an expansion and a contraction of the driving portion so as to have an adjusted stiffness.

The adjustable stiffness patch may include a plurality of unit auxetic structure cells which are connected to one another and are respectively configured to undergo an expansion and a contraction in a width-direction in response to the expansion and the contraction of the driving portion.

The plurality of the unit auxetic structure cells are connected to one another so as to form a lattice structure.

The unit auxetic structure cell may have a cross chiral honeycomb structure.

The unit auxetic structure cell may include a plurality of width-direction elongation stems and a plurality of thickness-direction elongation stems which respectively cross the width-direction elongation stem. The width-direction elongation stem may include a plurality of first and second width-direction inclined portions which are inclined in opposite directions and a plurality of width-direction connecting portions which connect the first and second width-direction inclined portions and are respectively inclined with respect to the first and second width-direction inclined portions to form an angle therebetween. The thickness-direction elongation stem may include a plurality of first and second thickness-direction inclined portions which are inclined in opposite directions and respectively cross the first and the second width-direction inclined portions and a plurality of thickness-direction connecting portions which connect the first and second thickness-direction inclined portions and are respectively inclined with respect to the first and second thickness-direction inclined portions to form an angle therebetween.

The unit auxetic structure cell may further include a plurality of inner connecting stems which connect the width-direction elongation stem and the thickness-direction elongation stem together.

The adjustable stiffness patch may include a plurality of unit patches, and wherein the driving portion is formed as air tubes which are respectively elongated along both sides and along a center line of the unit patch.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present invention, since the unit auxetic structure cell includes a plurality of width-direction elongation stems and a plurality of thickness-direction elongation stems, it can be easily fabricated and also has an enhanced stiffness adjustment characteristic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically shows a wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention which is worn on a user.

FIG. 2 shows examples of a driving portion and a adjustable stiffness patch of a wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an example that unit expansion structure cells of an adjustable stiffness patch of a wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention are arranged in a lattice type.

FIG. 4 shows a width-direction elongation stem and a thickness-direction elongation stem of a unit expansion cell of a wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings hereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed to have a shape which can be worn by a person. The wearable soft exoskeleton suit is formed to have adjustable stiffness and can regulate the stiffness according to the necessity so assist a muscle power.

A wearable soft exoskeleton suit according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a driving portion 10 and an adjustable stiffness patch 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the adjustable stiffness patch 20 may be disposed at areas where the adjustment of the stiffness is required in a state of being worn in a human body, and the driving portion 10 may be formed to fill a space between the adjustable stiffness patch 20. Meanwhile, the driving portion 10 may be formed to be inserted into the adjustable stiffness patch 20.

The driving portion 10 is configured to expand and contract depending on the supply and the discharge of fluid. The fluid may be any fluid such as air, oil or the like. The driving portion 10 may be formed to be supplied with the fluid and to expand and contract in response to the supply and the discharge of the fluid. For example, the driving portion 10 may be formed of material such as rubber or synthetic resin which can allow a change of a shape and can maintain a fluid sealing. Meanwhile, not shown in FIG. 1, a fluid supplying device which supplies fluid to the driving portion 10 and receives fluid discharged from the driving portion 10. For example, in case that the fluid is air, the fluid supplying device may be an air pump. Also, valves, a storage for regulating the supply and the discharge of the fluid may be provided. Such a fluid supplying device, valves, storages or the like may be attached to a soft exoskeleton suit.

The adjustable stiffness patch 20 is connected to the driving portion 10 and undergoes the change of its shape in response to the expansion and the contraction of the driving portion 10 so as to have an adjusted stiffed. For example, if the driving portion 10 expands, the adjustable stiffness patch 20 may contract so that the parts constituting the adjustable stiffness patch 20 become closer to one another so that a bending stiffness is increased. On the other hand, if the driving portion 10 contracts, the adjustable stiffness patch 20 may expand so that the parts constituting the adjustable stiffness patch 20 become farther from one another so that a bending stiffness is decreased.

As shown in a dotted oval, the adjustable stiffness patch 20 may be formed by a plurality of unit patches 21 of a honeycomb shape. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the respective unit patch 21 may approximately have a hexagonal shape, the driving portion 10 in a type of an air tube may be disposed at both sides and along a center line thereof. The driving portion 10 may be supplied with air via an air supplying tube 31. FIG. 2 shows the state that the driving portion 10 is not supplied with air in (a) and the state that the driving portion 10 is supplied with air so as to be expanded in (b). In case that the driving portion 10 expands in a width direction by an air supply to the driving portion 10, the driving portion 10 expands to be increased in a width direction, and thereby the adjustable stiffness patch 20 disposed between the driving portion 10 is contracted to undergo the change of the stiffness.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the detailed structure of the adjustable stiffness patch 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 3, the adjustable stiffness patch 20 includes a plurality of unit auxetic structure cells 23 which are connected to one another. The unit auxetic structure cell 23 is configured to be contracted or expanded in a width direction (X axis direction or Y axis direction in FIG. 3) in response to the expansion and the contraction of the driving portion 10. Although FIG. 3 exemplarily shows that nine unit auxetic structure cells 23 are disposed in 3 by 3 lattice shape, the number and the arrangement of the unit auxetic structure cell are not limited thereto. At this time, not explicitly shown in the drawing, the adjustable stiffness patch 20 may be attached to an inner surface of a soft cover of textile or synthetic resin.

The unit auxetic structure cell 23 may be formed to have a cross nonsymmetrical honeycomb structure, i.e., a cross chiral honeycomb structure. Due to this structure, the stiffness adjustment characteristics as well as the productability can be enhanced. For example, the unit auxetic structure cell 23 may be formed of a meta-material having a negative Poisson's ratio.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the unit auxetic structure cell 23 includes a plurality of width-direction stems 231 and a plurality of thickness-direction elongation stem 232. Referring to FIG. 3, the width-direction elongation stem 231 approximately extends along a width direction (X axis direction or Y axis direction in FIG. 3), and the thickness-direction elongation stem 232 approximately extends along a thickness direction (Z axis direction in FIG. 3).

The width-direction elongation stem 231 may include a first and a second width-direction inclined portion 2311 and 2312 which are inclined in opposite directions, and a width-direction connecting portion 2313 which connects the first and second width-direction inclined portions 2311 and 2312. The width-direction connecting portion 2313 is inclined respectively with respect to the first and second width-direction inclined portions 2311 and 2312 by an angle of 81.

Similarly, the thickness-direction elongation stem 232 may include a first and a second thickness-direction inclined portion 2321 and 2322 which are inclined in opposite directions, and a thickness-direction connecting portion 2323 which connects the first and second thickness-direction inclined portions 2321 and 2322. At this time, the thickness-direction connecting portion 2323 is inclined respectively with respect to the first and second thickness-direction inclined portions 2321 and 2322 by an angle of 82.

Meanwhile, the unit auxetic structure cell 23 may further include a plurality of inner connecting stems 233 which connect the width-direction elongation stem 231 and the thickness-direction elongation stem 232 together.

Since the unit auxetic structure cell 23 has the above-described structure, it has an enhanced stiffness adjustment characteristic as well as an enhanced productability.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A wearable soft exoskeleton suit comprising: a driving portion which is configured to expand and contract in response to supplying and discharging of fluid; and an adjustable stiffness patch which is connected to the driving portion and is configured to undergo a shape change in response to an expansion and a contraction of the driving portion so as to have an adjusted stiffness.
 2. The wearable soft exoskeleton suit of claim 1, wherein the adjustable stiffness patch comprises a plurality of unit auxetic structure cells which are connected to one another and are respectively configured to undergo an expansion and a contraction in a width-direction in response to the expansion and the contraction of the driving portion.
 3. The wearable soft exoskeleton suit of claim 2, wherein the plurality of the unit auxetic structure cells are connected to one another so as to form a lattice structure.
 4. The wearable soft exoskeleton suit of claim 2, wherein the unit auxetic structure cell has a cross chiral honeycomb structure.
 5. The wearable soft exoskeleton suit of claim 2, wherein the unit auxetic structure cell comprises a plurality of width-direction elongation stems and a plurality of thickness-direction elongation stems which respectively cross the width-direction elongation stem, wherein the width-direction elongation stem comprises a plurality of first and second width-direction inclined portions which are inclined in opposite directions and a plurality of width-direction connecting portions which connect the first and second width-direction inclined portions and are respectively inclined with respect to the first and second width-direction inclined portions to form an angle therebetween, and wherein the thickness-direction elongation stem comprises a plurality of first and second thickness-direction inclined portions which are inclined in opposite directions and respectively cross the first and the second width-direction inclined portions and a plurality of thickness-direction connecting portions which connect the first and second thickness-direction inclined portions and are respectively inclined with respect to the first and second thickness-direction inclined portions to form an angle therebetween.
 6. The wearable soft exoskeleton suit of claim 5, wherein the unit auxetic structure cell further comprises a plurality of inner connecting stems which connect the width-direction elongation stem and the thickness-direction elongation stem together.
 7. The wearable soft exoskeleton suit of claim 1, wherein the adjustable stiffness patch comprises a plurality of unit patches, and wherein the driving portion is formed as air tubes which are respectively elongated along both sides and along a center line of the unit patch. 